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What Our Visitors Say

I have organized several group tours…and everyone was impressed with the knowledge and enthusiasm of the docents who have such a command of the exhibition.

— Marie Harrington, Scarsdale NY

The New-York Historical Society is one of my favorite museums because it is large enough to have a magnificent collection and splendid exhibits but small enough to offer an intimate experience for visitors

A good starting point for your visit to New York. It will help you understand the people and history of this amazing city.

— Phyllis Epstein, New York, NY

When I talk to friends, I explain the New-York Historical Society's appeal to me by a simple phrase: "I never walk through the doors of the Society and not learn something." What better reason to visit?

— Jim Picinich, New York, NY

No trip to manhattan can be without visiting here. One of the greatest museums in the city!

— Mateo C. Oakland Gardens, NY

I always enjoy visiting the New-York Historical Society. Their permanent collection has Tiffany, Audubon and the Hudson River School painters. Their special shows are also fabulous and diversified.

Special Exhibition Tours We Offer

At a time when there were only a handful of female portraitists, photographer Editta Sherman developed a signature style, showcasing her dynamic personality and artistic sensitivity in each celebrity portrait she captured. On this illuminating behind-the-scenes tour, discover the technical methods and personal touches that made Sherman one of the most intriguing photographers of her generation. Don't miss this opportunity to get up close with photos of celebrities rarely seen in person!

While Europe was experiencing unimaginable horrors, artist Arthur Syzk expressed his opposition through forceful depictions caricaturing Hitler, Mussolini, and Hirohito as the evil architects of their regimes' destructive and inhumane policies. On this docent-led tour, learn about the Polish-born forgotten artist, and see 40 politically incisive works that underscore Szyk’s role as a one-man “activist-in-art” who advocated for civil and human rights.

On this docent-led tour, journey through one of most controversial conflicts in recent American history: the Vietnam War. Explore the war from multiple viewpoints including the military campaigns initiated by both sides, the growth of the antiwar movement, the role of the president, and the loss of political consensus. See compelling objects like a troopship berthing unit, vibrant antiwar posters, artwork by Vietnam vets, a Viet Cong bicycle, the Pentagon Papers, and news and film clippings.

Immerse yourself in an enchanting holiday wonderland at our sweeping display of spectacular antique toy trains, toys, and scenic elements from the renowned Jerni Collection. On this tour, discover a magical 360-degree mountain landscape with a circa 1890s town and, of course, see the trains themselves, including those made by leading manufacturers that set the standard for the Golden Age of Toy Trains, like the German firms of Märklin and Bing, as well as the American firms Lionel and Ives. Among other topics, learn about the history of trains, including the aerodynamic Märklin’s Schienenzeppelin, or rail-zeppelin, which is modeled after an actual locomotive that emerged in Germany in the years following World War I as a way to find civilian uses for military surplus. History tidbits abound on our docent-led tour!

At the turn of the 20th-century, Greenwich Village was a “hotbed” of social and artistic activism, rooted in the fight for women’s rights and suffrage. On this docent-led tour, explore a dynamic combination of photographs, illustrations, and short films, largely produced by under-recognized women artists. Hear the untold stories of this energetic and proactive bohemian scene, led by African Americans, immigrant activists, and women of the working-class. This is a behind-the-scenes tour you don't want to miss!

Permanent Exhibition Tours We Offer

For more than 200 years, the New-York Historical Society has been preserving and exhibiting artwork. Dive into the stories of many illustrious artworks on our docent-led gallery tour. Learn about some of the most renowned works in our collection, ranging in date from the 14th through the 21st centuries, including Thomas Cole's iconic "Course of Empire" series and Charles Willson Peale's Peale Family Portrait. Plus, marvel at Picasso’s magnificent Le Tricorne ballet curtain, the largest piece on view in the United States by the Spanish artist.

Explore our world-renowned permanent collection on our one-of-a-kind highlights tour. Our specially trained guides lead you through the Smith Gallery, showcasing New York’s central role in the creation of the United States. The tour continues on the second floor where a selection of our more than 40,000 historic objects tells the story of Gotham, from its early days as a Dutch colony to the cosmopolitan metropolis of today.

Despite enormous obstacles, women across the spectrum of race and class exercised power and effected change even before they could access the ballot box. Discover the untold stories of women whose contributions to American culture, politics, and society altered the course of history.

Experience our collection of Tiffany lamps—one of the world’s largest and most encyclopedic—in a dazzling new two-story gallery. See more than 100 examples of this elegant American art form and hear the personal stories of head designer Clara Driscoll and her team in the Glassmaking Department known as the “Tiffany Girls,” whose contributions were nearly lost to history.

New York’s unique entrepreneurial spirit has inspired objects that stand alone in design and functionality. Hear the dynamic stories of American history as told through extraordinary and everyday objects from our collection. Discover what makes New York the capital of creativity!

The forgotten, often perplexing histories of the United States can be told through artifacts left behind. Since 1804, the New-York Historical Society has been preserving and exhibiting objects that tell captivating stories. History uncovered on this tour will include the 19th-century fascination with phrenology, or skull-reading; the lost art of cigar ribbon manufacturing; and the 1863 draft lottery that sparked the deadliest civil disturbance in our nation’s history.

How can the past inform our present? Discover the New York of yesterday and today through artifacts and works of art from our collection, excavated from city streets and donated by illustrious New Yorkers. Select the century in New York history that most interests you and we’ll tailor a tour to fit!

1600–1700: Before the city was New York, it was New Amsterdam—a remote New World trading outpost in a global Dutch empire. After coming under British rule in 1664, New York retained its diverse, multilingual population and entrepreneurial spirit, remaining a city that existed first and foremost as a financial and trading center.

1700–1800: Under British occupation from 1776 to 1783, New York—a hotbed of contention between Patriots and Loyalists—felt the effects of nearby battles. After the Revolution, New Yorkers witnessed Washington’s inauguration and the city became the first U.S. capital. During this period, one in five New Yorkers lived in bondage.

1800–1900: Fueled by immigration and innovations like the Erie Canal and Brooklyn Bridge, New York grew from a port city concentrated in lower Manhattan to a unified metropolis. During and after the Civil War, New York politics became increasingly contentious. As the 19th century came to a close, the Progressive Movement emerged in response to the excesses of Tammany Hall and the Gilded Age.

1900–2000: During the tumult of the 20th century’s traumatic world wars, ordinary New Yorkers contributed to the war effort. Following World War II, New York emerged on the international stage as a global capital with a unique identity, and its landmarks became recognizable worldwide as New York culture was captured in song, on stage, and on film.